Attention all Knifemakers!.....Product dealers/retailers and/or knife makers/sharpeners/hobbyists (etc) are not permitted to insert business related text/videos/images (company/company name/product references) and/or links into your signature line, your homepage url (within the homepage profile box), within any posts, within your avatar, nor anywhere else on this site. Market research (such as asking questions regarding or referring to products/services that you make/offer for sale or posting pictures of finished projects) is prohibited. These features are reserved for supporting vendors and hobbyists.....Also, there is no need to announce to the community that you are a knifemaker unless you're trying to sell something so please refrain from sharing.
Thanks for your co-operation!

Help Support Kitchen Knife Forums by donating using the link above or becoming a Supporting Member.

Beer, beer, beer!

That got your attention?

Well, I grew up with German beer, became a wine drinker - and still enjoy them a lot - but with the climate in Hawaii, a nice cold beer is often the best choice. So, I started exploring beers again and just wanted to see what your favorites are. Can't hurt to get recommendations. I am open to pretty much everything, generally prefer strong hops, like a lot of the IPAs. Rogue beers are my current go-to beers for treating myself. Not big on Wheat/Weizen beer, and I find that brewing beer with fruit should be punished with a public beating Other than that - what should I drink?

I think circumstances will change your perception of flavour... similar to wine, they match certain occasions/food/people. The best example i could give is drinking Guiness from the can somewhere else than in Dublin, and then try it from cask in one of citys pubs. Its huge diff, makes you wonder why?
Could definitely recommend Singha from Thailand. Silky smooth but still packed with flavour and having some biterness. When lived there this beer would be my everydays bread and I never got bored with it. Chang is another decent one but more strong and characteristic flavour of herbs.
From Europe some should be easily available like Staropramen, Zlaty Bazant or Pilsner Urquell. Polish beer is tasty and rich in natural alcohol, i mean without added crap.
They will all be very bitter and somehow "sticky".

I don't know what distribution is like out there in the pond, but here are my top three brewery suggestions:
North Coast Brewing
Dogfish Head
Brewery Ommegang

Each of those establishments do justice to everything they make.

If you're digging Rogue (which I really enjoy as well) you will prolly like Lagunitas.

As far as brewing with fruit.... I used to feel the same way until Dogfish head changed my mind. The problem is that very few places are doing it right, so we try some crap attempt and then assume it's all bad. Reminds me of people who swear they hate wine, but have never had anything that didn't come from a jug or box. I was guilty here too until Dogfish' Midas Touch, then their Pumpkin ale. Ommegang's Three Philosophers is also a prime example of fruit done right with their sort of cherry lambic fusion.

If you're a Rogue fan you should get your hands on their Morimoto Soba Ale (not the Black Soba). A really unique flavor that finishes very clean. It's sometimes hard to find but definitely worth a try.

BrewDog is an awesome brewery in Scotland that loves to be on the cutting edge. If you like hoppy but would like to try try something a little different from the crop of IPA's that have become all the rage lately try their 5 A.M. Saint. It gives a nice shot of hops and a slightly bitter finish but cut with a little bit of sweet maltyness. Their Punk IPA is a more classic IPA. Good stuff.

Stone Brewing does a really cool thing every year with their Vertical Epic beers. Each year for the last - I forget, ten years or so - they came out with a different brew released on matching day, month, year combinations (6/6/2006, etc), ending on 12/12/12. You can still find the 9/9/09's and you might like that one. Another hoppy brown. The 10/10/10 is a really good example of a play on a Belgian, but from your description of what you like it sounds like Belgian's aren't your cup of tea.

By the way, has anyone in Florida been to Brother Tucker's in Pompano? One of the coolest little places I've ever been to.

I usually drink Asahi or Coopers.. A little Tsingtao if I want something lighter. For more 'fun' beers, I usually grab Archipelago as they have Asian herbs and spices infused in their beers.(screwpine and lemongrass any1?)